Mom Commits Suicide after Losing Appeal—Only Hope of Getting Son Back
And: Mother Jailed for Refusing to Force Daughter to Visit Her Father
A North Carolina mom has, so very sadly, committed suicide after losing her appeal.
It was the last hope of getting her son back.
Not much is known about Jessica’s life or her custody case, but this is what can be gleaned from social media.
JESSICA’S STORY
Jessica Leigh gave birth to Harrison in 2017. That made her a very happy mama.
It is unknown how long the relationship with Harrison’s father lasted or if they ever married.
But at some point, it seems her sister got together with Harrison’s father, and they eventually married.
My sister MARRIED HIS FATHER—a SECRET, shared with the WORLD, while I suffered in SILENCE.
THE TAKING
The last photos of Harrison on Jessica’s timeline were taken when he was about 6 years-old, so that must be when he was taken away from her—about three years ago.
The interplay between Family Court and social services is unclear. But Jessica’s parental rights were terminated, meaning the father is the only legal parent and likely got custody. Someone, likely he, had to make some very bad allegations against Jessica in order for such an extreme measure to be taken, or at least went along with them.
There are plenty of Custody Crisis cases that result in mothers having no contact with their children, but Family Court judges don’t usually bother terminating parental rights. They either order no contact with impossible conditions placed on the mother, or do not enforce visits. But it is effectively the same thing.
Jessica was allowed to see Harrison in supervised visits for a while. Those seem to have ended after her rights were terminated.
This is such a horrific thing to do to a mother—deprive her completely of the child whom she gestated and birthed and nursed and loved and nurtured every day until being ripped from her loving arms.
That is, very simply, emotional torture. Worse than any physical torture.
On top of that incalculable loss, Jessica felt abandoned and betrayed by her own family.
I Am Alive. But I Am Not Living.
I LOST MY SON.
And I LOST THE FAMILY I LOVED.
They didn’t care how it hurt my SON.
They didn’t care how it DESTROYED ME.
They didn’t CALL. They didn’t SHOW UP.
While I was DROWNING…
Even if Jessica had some sort of issue—of which there is no public evidence and no hint from her postings—there is absolutely no reason she should not have, at the very least, supervised visitation.
After Harrison was taken, Jessica started the Facebook page Voice for Harrison and also used the hashtag #justiceforharrison. She writes prosaically about her life and how much she misses Harrison in many of her posts. It’s worth checking them out.
In a post earlier this month, she responds to the many moms who ask how it feels to have her parental rights terminated—with this image of herself looking much happier than she obviously felt.
People don’t always understand what it’s like for a mother to be separated from her child. Your heart doesn’t stop being a mother. You still listen for them. You still feel them. You still love them with every piece of who you are.
Some days the pain is quiet. Other days it shows up out of nowhere, like a wave that reminds you a part of your heart is walking somewhere in this world without you.…Harrison, wherever you are…
your mom still loves you with her whole heart.
* * * *
This isn’t just a case to me—it’s my child.
I don’t want to forget his laugh…
so I hold onto it like it’s everything—because it is.
And one day, I won’t have to remember it…
I’ll hear it again.
THE APPEAL
Jessica did the only thing she could legally do to get Harrison back.
She appealed the obviously, grossly unjust ruling that terminated her rights and deprived her completely of her child.
She waited. And hoped.
And hung on. Despite everything having been taken from her.
This system didn’t just take him—it has taken everything from me. My family. My peace. My health. My career. My safety. My home. My car. My finances. My hope. My dreams. My life as I knew it.
And yet, here I am, still forced to fight, still forced to survive, still forced to carry this pain alone.
And she kept waiting.
Hoping against hope, dreaming of her boy back in her arms.
THE END
The decision finally came down this week.
Jessica lost.
The disgusting, patriarchal Appellate justices affirmed the disgusting, patriarchal Family Court judge’s unconscionable ruling.
The thought of not seeing Harrison anymore was just too much to bear.
On Friday, she ended the immense pain caused by the taking of her child by taking her own life.
One day, the truth will surface.
Not through anger, not through retaliation, but through time.
And it will show who endured, who loved, and who abandoned.
Those were some of Jessica’s last words…
RIP JESSICA
Jessica joins a multitude of mothers who ended or lost their lives fighting to keep and protect their children in Family Court. A few we’ve covered:
Julia: Mom Commits Suicide after “Judicial Alienation” of Son
Lizzie: Mom Who Exposed Family Court Cover-Up of Sexual Abuse Dies “Mysterious” Death
Narkis: Mom Who Said “Many Women End Up Dead” Has Died
Catherine: Mom Uses Her Suicide to Warn Women about Family Court
Terra: Mom Dies Following Years of Judicial Torture
Lindsay: Judge Enables Father to Murder Mother & Daughter
Anne-Christine: Dad Murders Mom: Gets Custody
Nia: Family Court Causes Another Mother’s Death
Star: Judge Denies Protective Order: Mom Stabbed to Death in Front of Son
Michelle: Family Court Causes Another Mother’s Death
Nicole: Mom Dies Due to Son Being Taken Away, Given to Ex
Nashwa: Protective Mom Found Dead Day after Mother’s Day
Kymberlie: Woman Commits Suicide by Train on Daughter’s 16th Birthday
Nicole: Mom Murdered after Judge Orders Shared Custody
Jennifer: Missing Mom’s Ex Charged with Murder: Held on $6M Bail
Hayley: Mom of 4 Drops Dead in Court after Custody Ruling
Marissa: Face of the Crisis
Shannon: Mom Passes Away after Battling Fervently to Regain Custody
Kimi: Mom with Cancer Passes Away without Seeing Children
Sheila: Despondent Mum Commits Suicide after Kids Given to Father
Jessica: Mom Commits Suicide After 8 Year Battle for Her Kids
Olga: Family Court Causes Another Tragedy
Brenda: Another Woman Commits Suicide after Children Taken Away and Given to Father
Rest in Peace Mamas…
BE MAD!
Instead of just being sad, be mad! We must use the outrage we feel from their needless and avoidable loss to fuel our advocacy for a new system.
Join The Women’s Coalition where we are uniting for the battle!
IN OTHER NEWS
MOM JAILED
On Friday, just before being incarcerated, Kristi asked that her story be shared to help raise awareness.
Kristi is an Alabama mom who chose jail, rather than handing her 9 year-old daughter over to the convicted-criminal-trafficker father, more accurately the sperm source.
The father has not been involved at all in his daughter’s life—by choice—for her entire 9 years of life; whereas, Kristi has remarried and they are a happy family.
Yet, recently, out of the blue, the father filed for custody and was granted a 5-week summer visit—5,000 miles away in Hawaii.
Of course, the judge granted it, despite the fact the father has reportedly been convicted for trafficking and arrested for other crimes and has an unknown roommate.
A little girl forced to live with two men she does not know for 5 weeks!
Understandably, Kristi refused, but will the inevitable come to pass? Tell what you think may happen in the comments.
Judge Daniel Steverson has completely ignored the child’s best interests and the girl’s own wishes. Instead, he has given the father exactly what he wants.
You know—the usual male entitling occurring in family courts around the world…
To add insult to injury, Steverson is making Kristi pay plane fares and attorney’s fees. Judges love sticking it to uppity ex-wives who dare stand up for what’s best for their children.
There’s more to her story, but we’ve run out of room in this newsletter. Search Kristi Griffin and watch this reel where she tearfully opens up about her plight.
DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT
The Women’s Coalition has filed a lawsuit in New York claiming that women’s right to Equal Protection is being systemically violated in Family Court—with about 60 similarly-situated mamas!
We will be filing an amended complaint soon so if you are a victim of the Custody Crisis in New York, there is still time to join us by filling out this form. Plz alert all your NY friends.
We’re finally being heard through this unprecedented effort!
Women’s Coalition News & Views is a reader-supported publication. Please consider a paid subscription of just $5/mo, $50/yr or $200 founding member to support our important work of exposing and ending the Custody Crisis! [Check alternate inboxes.]
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All contributions are greatly appreciated!
UPDATE: There are many reports that Jessica is still alive. If she is, that is a good thing and we are hoping for that. Her son still has his mommy and she can see him at some point later hopefully. We posted about her death because a family member reported it on Jessica's FB page and it fit with her having lost her parental rights, so we assumed it was true. Her FB page has now been scrubbed of posts and pix and friends.
We are waiting to confirm what really happened and why and will post a more thorough update then. We'd like to hear from Jessica first but her FB page has been scrubbed of posts and pix and friends.
Please do not comment on the many rumors that make Jessica look bad--those will be deleted. Let's give her a chance to tell her side of the story if she is still here. Our position remains that she should not have lost her parental rights in such a short time and she should be able to at least see her son supervised.
Family court is about male power and control. It is not about the best interests of the child. Children are considered male property. Family court judges frequently grant child custody to males that request it. It doesn't matter if they're abusive. Family court judges often falsely deem good mothers unfit. Loving mothers have their children taken. Family court judges know what they're doing. They abuse their power and face no consequences. Their opinion is what matters. Women have no enforceable rights in family court. Mothers and children have no protection. Facts and evidence don't help. Laws and training programs don't help. Family court judges enable fathers to alienate children from loving mothers. Separating a mother and her child causes immense grief. Friends and family frequently don't help. Many exploit children because of rifts. Friends and family can worsen unimaginable pain. Vulnerable mothers lose hope. Women and children suffer. Jessica could not bear the pain of being separated from Harrison. Tragically, many mothers also commit suicide. Kristi is in jail for not handing over her daughter. I think the judge will give custody to the father. Family court judges endanger women and children. They must no longer have the power to decide child custody cases. Women must use their outrage and demand a new system. A jury would give women and children a chance at justice. Family court must end.